Sands of change
by BlueBastard
Summary: Why couldn't he stop thinking of him? What makes you so different! Gaara demanded. Lee could only shrug, pinned as he was. Shrug and attempt to explain what lay deep inside him to a Kazekage that was slowly going insane. SLASHYaoi.
1. Messenger?

Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. And yes... yes I CAN speak english.

Warning: Yes. This is Yaoi. Meaning male/male relationships.

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The brooding red-head continued staring out at the endless desert from his tower's window. It had been... what, a year now since he had interacted with anyone from Konoha village? Of course, there were letters and messengers. But they didn't count.

_'Why can't I stop thinking about him?' _The sand-nin demanded silently in his head.

_(I don't know. But if you don't stop now, kid, I'm going to have to-) _Shukaku started to rant.

The Kazekage frowned as he thought point-blank,_ 'I'm 21.'_

Growling lightly at being interrupted, Shukaku continued, _(Exactly. Still a kid.)_

"Whatever..." Gaara stated aloud in a monotone, his robes gathering around him as he stood from the chair. He was staring out the window when a curious sight greeted him, "It seems we have company..."

A moment after spotting the cloud of dust in the distance, there was a hard rap at the door and a man shuffled in, "Kazekage, we have an unexpected visi-"

"Who is it?" Gaara demanded, though his tone was not laced with malice. Rather, it managed to remain bored and unreveiling of his true curiousity.

The young guard eyed his charge warily, wondering if Gaara was in one of those... moods. But there was no telltale shifting of the sands nor did the promise of blood drip from his lips. No... no the Kazekage was not dangerous just yet.

"Someone from Konoha, sir."

Gaara's head snapped up so fast, the man was barely able to suppress stumbling back from sheer startlement and panic. Fortunately, Gaara didn't seem to notice or care what the guard's reaction was. Instead, an even heavier questioning look graced his black rimmed eyes.

Recovering quickly the guard said, "It's not another messenger, Kazekage. But we're not sure as of yet who it could be."

Gaara's brow ridge creased slightly at this. Was his team of shinobi lacking enough that they required punishment? He demanded quietly, "Why?"

Noticing the glimmer of pain in the Kazekage's eyes, the guard started. _'This is bad,' _he though to himself, _'The Kazekage's reverting back to his old self. Gods, why now? What could he be brooding about so much to get him this way...?' _

Knowing his life just may be on the line, the guard didn't waste any more precious seconds to answer, "He's... too fast, sir."

At first, Gaara's frown deepened, striking concern and ever more fear through the guard standing before him. This irritated Gaara to no end.

_'No matter what I do... they all still have that look in their eye. They're all... afraid...' _Gaara thought resentfully.

_(Fear is power, my dear subordinate.)_

_'Shut up.'_

_(Why don't you sleep, little one? We'll see who has the power then.)_

Ignoring the demon within, Gaara realized he was silent so long the man before him was starting to sweat. Annoyed, the Kazekage started to open his mouth. But that's when the man's words hit him.

Too... fast?

A grin formed on the Kazekage's face, which worried the guard even more.

"I should greet our visitor and find out who he is..." Gaara thought aloud, crossing his arms as a bigger smirk graced his features. He had a feeling he knew who tihs visitor was.

Despite the fact that death was staring him in the face, the guard reached out a hand, "Sir, it's too dangerous. You shouldn't-"

But sand enveloped the unhearing Kazekage's form before it swept out of the room, leaving a trembling guard in an empty room.

Swallowing deeply, the guard wiped sweat from his brow and thanked the gods for whatever distraction kept the Kazekage from killing him. Said distraction was still running towards the sand village, unaware of the person coming to greet him.

o-o-o-o-o

_'If I do not make it into the city before the bottom of the sun touches the horizen, I must do 400 laps around the Village of Sand!' _The green-clad shinobi thought triumphantly to himself.

Even though he was at a dead sprint, he managed to strike the good-guy pose, a thumb sticking out and a glimmer pinging from his teeth. He regretted doing it an instant later when sand filled his mouth.

Wait. Regret doing the good-guy pose? NEVER!

_'Just for that, I shall have to do double the laps if I don't make it!' _The leaf-nin thought with determination.

He started to speed up when he noticed the strangest thing...

He wasn't even moving.

The spandex-clad ninja was actually suspened a little above the ground, held up there by grains of sand. Wait... grains of sand?

Finally sensing a masked presence, Lee managed to shift slightly to look at the person behind him. Just as ebony eyes locked with jade, the one controlling the sand spoke, "What brings a chuunin from Konoha here?"

"Kazekage!" Lee greeted with gusto as he corrected, "And I'm a jounin now." He looked very pleased.

So pleased Lee didn't even see Gaara flinch at the honorific title Lee addressed him with.

"Really now..." Gaara commented, slowly bringing the leaf-nin back to the ground.

The moment Lee's feet touched the ground, the boisterous young man burst forward and toppled the surprised Kazekage with a mind-numbing hug, "It's been so long!"

"About a year." Gaara replied, his voice still distant. Still so cold.

But Lee didn't care. He knew the sand-nin was usually so stoic. He was just happy to see an old friend. Much to Gaara's relief, Lee released him from the embrace after a few moments, just so he could hold him at arms length to look at him.

"You still didn't answer my question." Gaara stated, his voice sounding disinterested.

"Why, I'm on vacation!" Lee said as if it was obvious, "And after much debate, I decided the one friend I hadn't seen for forever was you, Kazekage!"

Again, Gaara flinched. Though it warmed him Lee still considered them friends, it still made him doubt just from the way Lee was addressing him.

Still smiling jovially at their surroundings, Lee once again did not notice. A dry breeze swept past, reminding Lee suddenly of his immense thirst.

"Hey Gaar-uh, I mean Kazekage!" Lee inwardly punched himself for the slip-up, "Do you have some water I could borrow?"

The Kazekage smirked, a light mood returning from Lee's words as well as the fact that the leaf-nin had been about to address him by his real name.

"Baka... you can't borrow water." Gaara said, pivoting and walking away as he said so.

Laughing sheepishly, Lee scratched his head as he trailed behind the Kazekage, "I-I know that... what I meant was-"

"The answer is yes." Gaara interrupted, throwing a look over his shoulder, "Now hold still."

Suddenly everything went dark as sand enveloped Lee's entire body. Memory flashing back to the incident years before, when Gaara had used Desert Coffin on him, he felt a sudden spike of panic. The sand was gripping him so tightly. He couldn't even move!

Was Gaara trying to KILL him?

That's when Lee looked over his thoughts and presently slapped himself. Of course Gaara wasn't trying to kill him. He needed to get a hold of himself. Gaara wouldn't do THAT. They were friends, after all.

Even as they were traveling by this quick method, Gaara was able to feel everything that Lee was doing. He felt the instant when Lee went through his moment of abject terror, making Gaara grit his teeth subconsciously. But then Lee relaxed, almost as if...

_'He's not... afraid of me...?'_

_(The idiot trusts you.)_

_'Shut up.'_

Though he did manage to calm down, Lee couldn't deny the relief that flooded him when his feet touched hard stone flooring and his muscles could move of their own accord. Flexing, Lee opened his eyes to find that Gaara was mere centimeters away. Much to his credit and experience, Lee suppressed the urge to jump back and throw kunai at Gaara's head. This wasn't an attack, after all. In fact, the leaf-nin was able to muster all that energy and surprise into one single word.

"Huh...?" Lee questioned as he took in the way Gaara's eyes seemed to be devouring him.

"You're... not afraid... Not like the others..."

"Not true." Lee denied, quickly amending at Gaara's confused look, "Well, true that I'm not afraid. At least, not of you. But it's not true that there aren't others who aren't afraid of you. There's Naruto."

"No," Gaara shook his head, his red hair sweeping against the slightly taller shinobi's cheekbone since they were so close. His eyes pierced Lee's as he continued, "Even he was afraid. Especially in the beginning. Everyone's afraid of me."

"That's not true." Lee said adamently. There had to be more than just him... More than just one person who hadn't been afraid, "Kazekage-"

And suddenly Gaara was pressed against him, making Lee painfully aware that he was pinned between the wall and a very powerful ninja. He was a jounin! He should've been aware of his surroundings. Why hadn't he realized there was a wall there?

"WHY?" Gaara demanded, "WHY aren't you afraid? What makes you so different! WHAT!"

Despite his predicament, Lee forced himself not to flinch at Gaara's rising words. Nor did he turn to look away. He refused to believe Gaara was going to kill him. He refused to show any hint that he might be afraid. Because he wasn't. Not even close. He was worried, maybe. But not for himself.

He was worried about Gaara.

Lee's voice was so low Gaara hardly caught it, "Because... because I can see the same loneliness in you that I had before..."

Gaara didn't know what he had been expecting, but it definately wasn't this. Staring at the captive he held before him, Gaara was the first to look away.

"Maybe... you should find another place for your vacation." The Kazekage said emotionlessly.

Before Lee could protest, sand whirled around the red-robed shinobi and Lee was no longer pinned against the wall. Sagging a bit, Lee looked around the abandoned room and sighed disheartenedly.

Had he been wrong to come?

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This is not a one-shot.


	2. Avoiding

Disclaimer: I still don't say I own Naruto.

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It had been a few days since Lee's arrival and he had been greeted heartily by many of the Sand village's citizens. Everybody had stopped him in the streets as he walked by and the leaf nin felt very welcome.

Now if only the Kazekage would stop acting like Lee had contracted the plague and actually stop avoiding him.

"He's not in there. I'm sorry." A guard at the tower's entrance stated, his spear blocking Lee's way.

"If he is not... I'm sure you won't mind me waiting up there for him." Lee said reasonably.

"I'm sorry, sir. But his orders were that no one is allowed up there during his absence."

"Then there's no reason to stop me. I know he's up there." Lee crossed his arms, determination setting his thick brows.

"Please sir," The second guard spoke up, "He's not in the best of moods..."

Lee flashed a tilted grin as he declared, "I'm not afraid."

Gently pushing aside their spears, Lee opened the door and began his trek up the spiraling steps. He was surprised when they didn't further try to subdue him, but not as much as they were surprised someone would even try to confront the Kazekage at a time like this.

Reaching the top, Lee wasn't greeted by the ordinarily closed double doors. One was left slightly open, revealing nothing of the darkness within. Though his eyes could see nothing, his trained ears caught the slightest movement within. Someone was inside the room.

Almost hesitating at the door, Lee hardened his resolve and called out, "Gaara...?"

"Don't be a fool..." A voice was heard from within the room, "I could kill you..."

The voice was so... cold. But it had hints within that yes, this voice did belong to the so-called monster named Gaara. Of course, no one called him a monster anymore. Not since he saved the village. But there were still times when people doubted he was fully sane.

Times when the Kazekage would fall into lapses that brought him closer to the demon within. Closer to madness and the darkness that wished to consume him...

Ignoring the warning, Lee strode boldly into the room, not even waiting to push the door fully open as he slipped inside. Now he, too, was inside the shadows, though his form was outlined by what little light lay back outside the open door.

"Gaara, why have you been avoiding me?" Lee asked.

The first thing the leaf-nin noticed was the pitch darkness of the room. Something heavy must've been covering the windows, for Lee couldn't even see his own hand before his face. There was also a slight shifting. A trickling sound.

Like sand was sliding along every inch of the room.

When there was no reply, Lee stopped in what he believed to be the middle of the room, his arms crossing as he continued, "I know you've been following me."

Lee thought of the times he was out training, his sweat-covered body stripped down to his pants as he strengthened his muscles. He could feel eyes on him the whole time, but whenever he'd turn around, the presence would disappear.

"I know you've been close."

At this, memories of starting awake in his single room emerged. Moments where he'd felt like something had brushed across his chest or even his lips. Like last night.

But no one had been there when he had opened his eyes.

A voice echoed out of the darkness, accusing, "Are you afraid?"

"No." Lee answered easily, his head shaking as if confirming his verbal reply.

"You should be..." Gaara's voice sounded close. Too close.

Like he was right in front of him.

And then all of a sudden Lee couldn't breathe. It took only a moment to register that Gaara wasn't trying to suffocate him. Rather, his rough dry lips hand pressed themselves over Lee's own. At the contact, Lee felt a sudden surge of heat race through him, sparking feelings for the Kazekage that he'd always kept down. Kept beneath the surface. If he stayed like that any longer, the taijutsu master didn't know what he'd do.

Sputtering, Lee backpedaled, his eyes darting around him as he demanded, "What was that for?"

The sand-nin had KISSED him!

Suddenly light spilled into the room as the sand uncovered the windows, temporarily blinding the leaf-nin. Crossing his arms in front of his face, Lee yelped at the intense rays as he blinked, waiting for his vision to come back into focus.

Then Gaara was there, pushing the other against the wall in a reanactment of a few days ago. Lee's back was pinned once more on the wall as Gaara's well-defined body pressed against every inch of the other's. Cloth rustled and Lee held very, very still.

Lee felt an intense gaze scrutinizing him before he even opened his eyes.

"You're... blushing." Gaara stated bluntly, the mere statement bringing a smirk to his normally stoic features.

"Gaara, what are you-"

But hot lips were once again clasped over his. Almost as if afraid Lee would vanish into thin air.

His face still flushed from the first kiss, Lee really started to full out blush as he found himself kissing back.

That's when the Kazekage jerked back, startled, "You're... you're really here..."

Lee, jerking awake himself, realized what he had just done. Pushing the slightly shorter man away during their mutual surprise and shock, Lee stumbled towards the door, "I-I... I'm so sorry for..."

Not even attempting to finish his stuttering sentence, Lee spun around sprinted the few steps back to the doorway. But the door was closed fully by a torrent of sand before the Konoha shinobi could grasp the door's knob.

"Don't leave." The Kazekage's request sounded too much like a command.

Attempting to guard his expression, Lee turned around but was unable to raise his thick brow in beffudlement, "Gaara-"

"Why'd you kiss me back?" Gaara now occupied the center of the room, his arms crossed as his light green eyes held Lee captive.

It felt almost as if those same jade eyes were undressing Lee slowly, and the Konoha Jounin could feel himself growing hot, "Uh... well, that is..."

Poor Lee had his mind whirling for an answer until his eyes followed where Gaara's green gaze went. The Kazekage was staring right. Down. There. He seemed impressed by the sudden bulge that was poorly hidden by Lee's green spandex outfit. That's when words evaporated from Lee's mouth entirely.

He was totally hard and no amount of pleading would make it go down. It didn't help any that Gaara was eyeing him like a predator would its prey. The red-head even dragged a moist tongue slowly over his dry lips. Tremors ran over Lee's solid body, a sort of shiver that ran from his head to his toes. When green eyes finally raised to meet Lee's large black ones, Lee felt as though his throat was as parched as the desert itself.

His motor functions finally kicking in, Lee let out a yelp of embarrasment as he tried to hide his obvious bulge while he turned and fled. He no longer remembered the door was closed and he found he no longer cared. In a matter of seconds, Gaara was left staring at flying splinters (the remains of his door) and a trail of dust down the steps that signaled Lee's abrupt departure.

"So... he wants me as well...?" Gaara inquired aloud.

_(It appears that way, brat.)_

"I never would have known had he not made it so obvious."

_(This will be fun...)_

"Indeed..."

-o-o-o-o-o

Lee had a hell of a time avoiding the Kazekage that day. No matter where he went, he always seemed to see a mop of red hair somewhere and then he'd be off. It was truly ironic, considering it had been Gaara that had been doing the avoiding up until then.

In the middle of doing 600 laps around the village, Lee discovered an oasis that he found thankfully empty.

Collapsing near a sparkling pool, his overheated body cooled by the shade of the vegitation, Lee groaned aloud, "What have I done...?"

Had he made a mistake of things by going along with what had happened in the tower? The guards DID warn Lee that their Kazekage had been in some sort of mood. What if he snapped awake and realized what Lee had done and suddenly felt like releasing Shukaku in a killing rage? All because Lee's body had decided it wanted a little action.

These sort of urges were supposed to be controlled through tiring and sweat-producing workouts. Workouts that would divert and drain away the energy produced by these urges. But today... today it just didn't seem like enough.

And what had happened in the tower was not just Lee's body's fault.

Ever since Lee had first met Gaara, he had noticed these... feelings... for the other boy. Feelings Lee had kept very well hidden underneath his desire and need to grow powerful and strong. He had thought his feelings towards Gaara were the same as towards any other powerful shinobi. He had thought it was mere healthy competition. But with what had happened a handful of hours ago proved that theory dead wrong.

And now Lee felt like he was dying from heat stroke and over-exertion.

Eyes trailing over to the pure pond, Lee make a quick decision and stripped as quickly as he could out of his tight outfit. Folding his clothing neatly aside, Lee cannon-balled into the lake. His mind exploded with the cool and comforting contact of the liquid around him, closing his eyes tightly as he dunked his whole head under. A big percentage of body heat escaped through the head, after all. And what faster way to cool off than to dunk one's own head in nice, cool water?

Just as Lee was wondering to himself just how long he'd stay there before resuming training, a voice cut through his serenity like a hot blade.

"I see you found my oasis."

Gasping at the sudden presence that made itself known, the taijutsu master accidentally swallowed water as he spun around to face the other. Coughing in an effort to get the water out of his lungs, Lee raised a hand in greeting, "K-kazekage...-cough- what a -cough- unexpected surprise...-cough-"

Gaara's brow ridge rose in amusement as the suddenly flustered and blushing shinobi tried to compose himself.

Coughing a few more times to get the water fully out, Lee scratched the back of his head nervously as he apologized, "I'm sorry. I did not realize this was your oasis, Kazekage. If you'd spare me a couple moments I could get out and-"

"Are you avoiding me?" Gaara interrupted, his statement blunt and to the point as usual.

Blinking, Lee shook his head as he replied perhaps a little too loudly, "NO!"

"Good, then you won't mind if I join you." Gaara said smugly as he tossed his hat to the ground.

Before Lee could even begin to protest, the Kazekage disappeared from the edges of the pool. A small poof signalled the red-head's reappearance, though it wasn't exactly where Lee would've wished he would be.

Gaara had joined him in the pool. And since he was nowhere in Lee's field of vision, that could only mean one thing.

The Kazekage was behind him.


	3. Overheated

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of its characters.

A/N: Yes... this is still yaoi folks. Male on male action. Don't blame me for what you read here.

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Lee's perceptive hearing caught the sounds of rippling water even as he felt the pool's movements glide across his skin.

He had no idea what to do. So he turned to one of the easier paths.

He panicked.

"Well, I do not want to take up all this room," Lee chuckled nervously, doing his best not to turn around and meet eye to eye with the silent Gaara behind him, "So I think I'll just be moving along now-"

Lee had managed to take one step. One single step... well, maybe a half-step, before he was stopped.

From behind, two pale arms wrapped around his torso and halted his movements.

"Why the rush?" Gaara's hot breath spread tingles across the back of Lee's ear, "I thought you said you weren't avoiding me..."

"I'm-" BIG gulp here "-not avoiding you, Gaara."

"Oh, really?" Gaara stated, in a tone which sounded suspiciously similar to disbelief.

The Kazekage must've taken leave of his senses. That was the only explanation. All that hot sun had finally gone to the redheaded shinobi and he had-

Was that Gaara's hand traveling downwards?

Lee froze as he found a pale hand trailing along his abs, heading further southwards underneath the cover of water. The leaf nin began to panic as he realized exactly what that little explorer would find in a few moments. Lee just HAD to strip out of ALL his clothes, now didn't he?

"Kazekage-" Lee started to say. But that was a microsecond before a certain hand suddenly gripped his hardness. This ended with Lee cutting himself off with a strangled cry.

"Hmm..." The red-head mused aloud, "bigger than it looks..."

Lee couldn't control the shiver that ran through his entire body at not only his firm touch, but at the deep rumble in Gaara's voice as well. His mouth went completely dry as he realized just how close Gaara was to his back. It would be impossible for any water to slip through, their bodies were so close!

"Y...yes..." Lee managed to squeeze out without his voice pitching to an intense squeek, "t-that... it... is... Nowwouldyoumindlettinggo?"

But it seemed Gaara was too distracted to answer. Lee bit back a heated moan as he noticed the hand around his member... exploring it a bit. Each careful slide of Gaara's callused hand sent intense spikes of pleasure running through Lee. The feeling was better than the euphoria Lee would get after running more than 600 laps.

Lee didn't notice when he started leaning back into Gaara's bare chest for support, but the Kazekage sure did. A slight smirk to his pale lips, Gaara tried an experimental squeeze on the member trapped within his large hand. He knew what felt good when he pleasured himself. Perhaps it would be the same for the muscled leaf nin as well...?

A suppressed moan escaped from Lee's clenched jaws, and he couldn't hold back the second full body shiver that ran up and down his spine. Pulling the unresisting taijutsu master closer to him, Gaara placed his mouth next to Lee's ear to whisper, "Do you enjoy this feeling...?"

Eyes closed in bliss, Lee sighed, "Yes..."

A hot breeze swept through the oasis, stirring up the vegitation. A coconut landed with a loud 'PLUNK' into the water.

That's when Lee snapped back to his senses, his eyes flickering open with them, "I mean- NO. No, I don't."

He couldn't be doing this! This was... wrong. They were both...

It was just...

Impossible.

Gaara blinked at Lee's sudden change of attitude and tone. He thought he had been enjoying his ministrations. Ah, a test then... Leaning his head closer to the crux of Lee's neck and shoulder, Gaara's lips ghosted over heated skin as he demanded quietly, "Are you sure?"

He punctuated his question with a full length stroke on the member still within his palm.

Biting his lip to hold back another groan, it took all of Lee's willpower not to grind into the hand before him. He couldn't do this! He... he had learned his lesson...

Long ago...

Gathering his strength in the cool water, ignoring the heat of the sun and the body behind him, Lee finally managed to push the other away. His body cried out at the loss of contact, but Lee shook his head to clear his mind. He looked dejectedly at the water, "I'm sorry, Gaara. But... I didn't enjoy it..."

The lie twisted deep inside Lee, and he couldn't help cringing slighty in the face of it. He continued keeping his back to the Kazekage behind him. At least he would be spared from seeing any look of hurt that might cross Gaara's features.

The lie didn't escape Gaara's attention, though, and his eyes narrowed because of it.

First, Lee said they were friends and then continued to call him Kazekage. Then Lee LIED to him? Inside, Gaara felt the dagger named Lee twist ever so painfully. Why would he lie? Why would-

Then Gaara stiffened. He smelled that familiar tang in the air and his pupils dilated slightly with the rush of it.

Lee thought Gaara had been silent in anger. Which is why he was completely caught off guard when he heard a completely random question murmur through the sand nin's dry lips, "Are you bleeding?"

Lee's brows furrowed in confusion as he turned around, his mouth opening to ask 'what'.

But the moment he turned around, his voice stilled within him. Gaara was less than two centimeters from his face, those green orbs raking him for any sort of injuries. Lee took an involuntary step backwards. Just because Gaara seemed to have no sense of personal space didn't mean Lee didn't. Unfortunately for the poor leaf nin, Gaara merely took a step as well, maintaining the uncomfortably close inspection.

Lee tasted the blood dribble down the same moment Gaara's eyes pinpointed the source of the blood. It was on Lee's lip. It must've happened when he had tried to supress the moan from earlier.

"Oh-" Lee started to say.

That's when Gaara swooped in. Lee should've known. It wasn't exactly secret just how much the smell of blood drove the Kazekage out of control.

The leaf-nin backpedaled, trying to put up a fighting stance to drive off whatever killing blow the sand nin would send his way. It had been a while since Lee had fought someone of Gaara's prowess, but he hoped he could manage.

Lee should've been able to sense the use of chakra as the wet sand beneath his feet started to shift. But Gaara's eyes... Lee was too caught up in Gaara's eyes to place his attention elsewhere. When he found himself trapped, sand wrapped all the way up to his knees, half of his body still under water, Lee closed his eyes in wait for his demise.

_'Maybe getting killed wouldn't be so bad'_, Lee found himself trying to convince... well, himself, _'At least it's by the hand of someone like Gaara instead of-'_

But Lee's train of thought came to an immediate halt as rough lips captured his own bloody ones. Eyes flying open for what seemed the millionth time that day, Lee stared unabashed at the half-lidded eyes before him.

For the second time, Lee was caught in one of Gaara's kisses.

Feet still stuck in the sand, Kazekage pressing against his front, Lee's arms started to windmill as he felt himself falling backwards. If he fell, he would be covered in water. How would he breathe then?

Yet it seems that fear was uncalled for as Lee found Gaara's pale arm snaking around the back of his torso, hand gripping his side firmly. Gaara's touch was like the heat of a thousand suns on Lee's overheated body. And the kiss was just as powerful.

Gulping deeply, Lee soon found Gaara's tongue slipping through his own lips, offering a taste of the blood that called to the sand nin in the first place. Lee didn't know when or how, but he soon found his own arms gripping the naked body of the Kazekage to him, his embrace tight.

At a single point of clear-thinking throughout all his blood lust, Gaara noticed this as well. It was almost as if... as if Lee was clinging to him for dear life.

_'This is wrong...' _Lee thought to himself, even as he gripped Gaara's muscled torso to him even closer, _'this must be wrong...'_

Lee stopped being the passive one in the kiss and started kissing back, his lips proving to be just as hungry and just as powerful as the rough ones that kissed him first. His tongue battled for dominance even as his mind struggled with himself.

_'Yet... if it is then...' _Lee felt the heat exhaustion starting to win over his body and mind. He felt his train of thought slowing as he cracked his eyes open to peer at Gaara, _'Then why does it feel so... right...?'_

Gaara slowly pulled away as he felt the body slump in his hands. The red-head panicked slightly at first.

_'Did I... KILL him...?' _Gaara wondered fearfully.

_(No, you moron.) _Shukaku chided, angry as his source of entertainment dwindled before his very eyes, _(Heat exhaustion did him in.)_

Even as the demon pointed this out, Gaara's meticulous gaze caught all the signs of it as he looked over Lee's unconscious form.

"Of course." Gaara commented aloud.

His head was starting to clear and Gaara stared blankly at Lee for a while. Despite the lie that tumbled from Lee's lips, Gaara knew very well that the other had enjoyed it as much as Gaara. Why he didn't tell him the truth, Gaara didn't particularly want to think about just yet. All he knew was that he had to help Lee get better.

With a sigh, Gaara released the sand that had held Lee's feet. Not wanting to take advantage while the other was basically knocked out, Gaara used his sand to gather their clothes then teleported them away with those some grains.

He would find out the reasons for Lee's actions later.


	4. Sorry?

Disclaimer: Haha, no. I don't own Naruto.

A/N: If you dislike yaoi, then I don't know what you're doing reading this fourth chapter. -smirks- But for the rest of you, enjoy. It's also sometimes helpful when you reviewers throw out suggestions. -grins- I hope you won't be too mad when I steal 'em.

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Lee woke with a groan, one arm tossed carelessly over his eyes.

When had he gotten back to the hut the Kazekage gave him for lodgings? Lee couldn't even remember what happened earl-

"You're awake." A voice stated, the tone almost bored sounding.

That's when it all came rushing back. The running. The pool. The Kazekage... and all those heated touches.

Lee shot up from the bed, his eyes wide as he looked around the room, fingers to his lips as he remembered the kissing from earlier.

He could feel his body warming at just the mere thought of what happened earlier. But as Lee's suspicions that he wasn't in his own room were confirmed, he tried to force the feelings down.

"Gaara?" Lee's confused eyes found the Kazekage sitting on a chair near the window. Even though the chair was facing the bed, the sand nins green gaze was currently staring off into the desert landscape, "Where... where am I?"

Blinking slowly, Gaara turned his look to inspect the leaf nin on the bed.

As his green gaze lowered considerably, Lee looked down as well and yelped, tugging the thin sheets to cover him as he yelped, "And WHY am I NAKED!"

At that Gaara's crossed arms tightened as his stoic expression tinted with irritation, "I don't know how you put that green... THING on. Don't even get me started on the bandages..."

Lee reddened deeply as he imagined Gaara staring at his naked form as he tried to put Lee's clothes back on. At his silence, Gaara returned his gaze to Lee's face. But this only made him blush even more.

With as much haste as a well-trained shinobi, Gaara was at Lee's side in an instant, demanding, "Are you ill? Will you faint again?"

Lee blinked, repressing an urge to squeek in an unmanly fashion as he found Gaara's face too close for comfort.

"I'm FINE!" Lee declared a little too loudly, his arm jerking upwards as he tried to pull anything that he could between them. Which happened to be the top of the blanket.

What he hadn't planned on was his hand accidentally clocking Gaara under the jaw.

Under the cover of the blanket, Lee's eyes widened considerably as his mind registered what the 'THUD' that followed must've meant. Peeking slowly out from under the clanket, Lee asked haltingly, "Gaara...?"

A groan was heard from the floor right next to the bed.

Right where the Kazekage must've fallen after Lee hit him.

Gasping, Lee sprung out of the bed, landing lightly next to the sprawled out red-head as he crouched on the floor. All other thoughts aside except for his growing concern for Gaara, Lee touched the other's cheek, "OhmygodGaaraIamsosorry!"

Hand reaching towards his bruised jaw, Gaara opened his black rimmed eyes slowly, stating in a disbelieving tone, "You hit me."

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I didn't mean to- Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?" Lee asked, hands to either side of the Kazekage's head as he inspected the bruise that was slowly forming on the lower side of the Kazekage's jaw.

Blinking, Gaara smiled as he realized what Lee had been calling him of late, "You called me Gaara."

Lee looked taken aback, "I did? Oh no. I'm sorry Ga- I mean, Kazekage. I didn't mean to-"

But at his words, Gaara's mood darkened instantaneously. With a growl, he shoved the leaf-nin away from him. Startled and confused, Lee remained where he had fallen on his butt, staring at Gaara as the sand nin rose swiftly to his feet.

Towering over the other shinobi still on the floor, Gaara demanded, "You're... You're... SORRY!"

Storming away to the window, Gaara threw his hands in the air as he demanded, "You're SORRY!"

Unsure what had come over his friend, Lee gaped, all motor functions temporarily frozen as his mind hastely tried to find out what just happened. What had he done wrong?

"WHY are people... SORRY?" Gaara demanded hotly, his hands gripping the window sill so hard the clay cracked. He turned his furious gaze towards the leaf nin still on the floor, "What are you sorry for, Lee? Huh! WHAT!"

"I-I'm sorry for-" Lee tried to answer.

But the red head but him off, his hands continuing to make the ledge crack and crumble as his enraged voice thundered in the room, "What? You're sorry for CLAIMING to be my FRIEND and not even SPEAKING to me for over a YEAR!"

"Wha-"

"OR are you sorry for lying to me?"

Lee looked away, ashamed at that part.

"OR MAYBE you're sorry that I'm a monster." Gaara growled bitterly.

Lee's eyes widened, his head snapping back to the Kazekage as he replied, "Wha- I never wou-"

"It's what everyone thinks." Gaara jerked his head to look out the window, his voice no longer shouting but all the worse for the bitterness and anger that clipped out with each word, "Everyone. Including you."

"Kazekage-" Lee started to say.

Talk about saying the exact wrong thing at the exact wrong time.

With an enraged growl, Gaara stalked over to Lee, his whole body shaking as he repressed the urge to tear Lee's body limb from bloodly limb.

"Then WHY do you keep calling me that! You SAY I'm your friend! You SAY this yet you keep CALLING me by that- THAT NAME!"

"Out of respect..." Lee answered cautiously, his black gaze slowly peering into Gaara's bloodshot ones, "I never knew-"

"But you knew I was a monster!" Gaara spat, "A monster that doesn't deserve to be acknowledged by their name! A monster that doesn't deserve to be loved! A hideous, psychotic, blood-thirsty monster that deserves nothing but loneliness and death!"

Gaara was shaking badly by then, his eyes glaring at Lee but staring right through him. Lee had been so focused on those eyes he hadn't noticed the sand pouring out of Gaara's gourd. Little streams of it were whipping around Gaara's immobile form, the sand particles going so fast it forced the still air to whistle thinly in the room.

"So you're sorry then?" Gaara demanded, thinking Lee was agreeing in his sudden silence, "You're sorry that I'm a monster? A freak with a demon inside of him? Why didn't you say so in the first place. Why. Did. You. COME. HERE!"

Lee saw the rage. He saw the rage all too well. He could read it on the sand. Read it exuding from Gaara's tense form, his bitterly ridged voice. The rage was in his bloodshot eyes.

Yet.. the rage wasn't the only thing there.

There was a deep, unending sadness burrowed in there as well. There were tears... yes, there were tears streaming from the Kazekage's eyes.

His jaw tightening decisively, Lee stood. He wouldn't stop until he made it perfectly clear. He wouldn't stop until he made Gaara understand just what he meant to the other.

Gaara made no acknowledgement to the fact that Lee was walking towards him ever so slowly.

Lee didn't know what to expect, but he couldn't help flinching as he stepped into the edges of the flying sand. They cut mercilessly into his skin, but Lee wouldn't stop. He was within the barrier now, and still Gaara hadn't made a move to stop him.

"Why are you here?" Gaara demanded, his voice a low growl.

Lee didn't even attempt to answer, he just kept moving forward. He walked until there was no more room to walk. He halted only when he stood directly in front of Gaara.

"Are you sorry? It doesn't matter anyway." Gaara muttered darkly, "None of it matters."

Finally, Lee spoke, "I AM sorry Gaara."

Lee didn't want to do it. He didn't want to reopen wounds of the past. But he had to now. He had to, or else who knew what would happen to Gaara.

Stilling his trembling hands, Lee forced his tongue to move, "I'm sorry for whatever horrible people lay in your past."

Gaara snorted at that, "There's nothing you could've done."

"I'm sorry that people think you're a monster."

"Again," Gaara growled, "nothing you can do about it."

Lee continued, nonetheless, "And I'm sorry I let my past get to me as well."

Gaara, confused, didn't have a comment for that one.

Closing his eyes, Lee continued, "I'm sorry that I believed parents could accept you for who you are... I'm sorry that the... the last thing my parents saw was... me walking away from them and going to... to HIM. I'm sorry I believed it when one of the few that knew told me I was disgusting. Told me I was a freak for liking another boy. I'm sorry he told me and that I... believed him."

When Lee opened his eyes, he faintly noticed that the sand was no longer whirling, but simply hanging, suspended, in the air. He noticed Gaara's shocked look as the redhead remained speechless.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." Lee said softly, "For causing you pain. I'm sorry that I-" Lee gulped, "that I..."

Suddenly it was as if something huge had lodged itself right into Lee's throat. What if he was wrong? What if Gaara didn't have feelings for him? What if Gaara was just playing him like that... other one had?

Lee couldn't go through with it. He couldn't say it. He just couldn't...

"I can't..." Lee suddenly said in a choked voice.

Gaara blinked.

Looking imploringly into those concerned green eyes, Lee whispered the last part, "I'm sorry I even came here in the first place."

Turning, Lee grabbed up his clothes and ran with the speed only he possessed. He was dressed and out of the sand village before the guards posted at the edge could curse and ask eachother what the hell had just streaked past.

Back in the bedroom, Gaara stood still, his mind still trying to accept all that had transpired. When it all finally clicked, the sand floating around him dropped like deadweights to the ground. Gaara's eyes widened as he looked out the window.

Lee was gone.

-o-o-o-o-

Tsunade was surprised to look up from stashing away her sake bottle and find a silent sand nin before her desk.

"Gaara of the Sand," Tsunade greeted with a smile, "What brings you here? I wasn't aware you were coming."

"Where is he?" Gaara demanded.

The powerful sannin frowned slightly at his tone. To anyone else he would sound monotonous. But... Tsunade was sure she heard the slightest edges of panick and sadness.

"Where is who, Kazekage?" Tsunade inquired.

"LEE. Where is Lee?" Gaara asked, his eyes flickering around the room as if the leaf nin was hidden under some piece of furniture.

"On his vacation, where else would he-"

"So you don't know where he is?" Gaara demanded, cutting her off.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, disliking the disrespect she was being given, "No, as a matter of fact I don't"

But before she had even finished her sentence, a trickle of sand was all that remained of Gaara.

"Hmph." Tsunade resumed drinking, her mind curious as to what that had been about.

-o-o-o-o-

Lee leapt silently from tree to tree. He couldn't go back.

It had been a couple days now, but he couldn't go back. Not to Konoha nor to the sand village.

He just couldn't... face Gaara. Not after what he had almost done...

He didn't know what to do.

But one thing was certain. Someone was definately following him.

Leaping to the ground, Lee whirled around, fists raised as he demanded, "Who's there? Why are you following me!"

There was a second of silence.

Then all of a sudden HE stepped out from the brush.

Lee started, his voice filled with disbelief as he gasped, "YOU..." 


	5. Teaser

Disclaimer: nope, don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: nope, don't own Naruto. Sorry for the wait, hope you guys enjoy.

-o-o-o-

"What do you want, Neji?" Lee demanded, taking a defensive stance. There was usually one reason and one reason alone the shinobi would personally seek him out.

"I've had a bad day," Neji growled, an evil smirk growing on his face, "And you're gonna make it better."

Fear twisted in Lee's gut.

That's when a red blur struck out of nowhere. It was as the dust was settling that Lee realized what had happened. It wasn't dust that was settling.

It was sand.

Gaara stood, the unconscious body of the Hyuga boy at his feet. "You're day could not have even compared to mine," The red head growled to the prone form, his jade gaze flitting up to the frozen green statue before him.

"Gaara… how did you find me?" Lee asked, dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events.

"It doesn't matter." Gaara growled, stalking towards the leaf nin, "The only thing that matters is he's not going to hurt you anymore. And you…"

Lee gasped as the Kazekage pulled his body towards him, "…you are not getting away again."

Before Lee could get a word in edgewise, they disappeared from the clearing in a swirl of sand.

-o-o-o-

-smirk- I know I'm evil for ending it there, but I'm just curious as to how many people still wanna read this story. And just a forewarning, the next chapter is gonna be more than just lemons.


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